Best Cellars

 

And there was no obvious loser either, although our panelists did find fault with some offerings. Dominguez dinged Sherry-Lehmann. The second time he visited its site, the pages failed to load. His wine took more than four weeks to arrive, and he thought the shipping costs from New York to California were high at $13.95 a bottle -- although the company agreed to waive those fees because of the shipping delay. Roop handed the booby prize to Winetasting.com, the online cooperative of California wineries. It didn't help that the Ohioan couldn't place an order with that site. "But most aggravating of all is that there is no pricing listed next to the wine," he says. A browser must click on a particular wine to see its price. Kravetz said WineBins.com was his least favorite, criticizing the "average selection" and the site's "impossible" loading time. "Maybe the wine ages while the page loads," he jokes.

Roger Fillion is a freelance writer living in Evergreen, Colo.

The Savvy Entrepreneur's Guide to Wine Online

eVineyard
What it's good for
Reasonable shipping fees. Good variety. Wine ratings.

Don't waste your time if
You're looking for a particular bottle. Although the site boasts more than 5,000 wines, one panelist complained of unsatisfactory selections among the California wine makers he was interested in.

What our CEOs had to say
"Enjoyed their variety, incorporation of Wine Spectator [magazine] ratings, and higher-end offerings, coupled with a very reasonable $4.95 blanket shipping charge for a bottle or a case," said one CEO. But another panelist stated: "Simple, decent, a bit entry-level."

What you should know
Offers Amazon.com-style recommendations by listing other wines purchased by shoppers who chose your wine.

K&L Wine Merchants
What it's good for
Rare U.S. and European wines. Ease of use. Tasting notes from own staff, Wine Spectator, and wine gurus like Robert Parker.

Don't waste your time if
You live in a state with restrictive alcohol-shipping laws. Internet orders are accepted from just 13 states.

What our CEOs had to say
"Will not deliver to my state. Too bad. I like their top-10 list and their site overall. Not fancy, but good."

What you should know
Web site for big California retailer in Redwood City. Site typically offers about 3,000 wines.

Sherry-Lehmann
What it's good for
Wines of all prices. Good descriptions. Free delivery for New York state residents who spend in excess of $95.

Don't waste your time if
You live outside New York state and don't want to pay steep shipping charges.

What our CEOs had to say
"A good selection of both high-end and low-end product. But you better buy only high end, because their shipping charges are through the roof, at $13.95 for one to three bottles and $55.80 for a case of 12."

What you should know
Will not ship to nine U.S. states. Oenophiles can buy wine futures -- lock in a price for a 1999 Bordeaux that won't arrive until June 2002.

WineBins.com
What it's good for
Less expensive California bottles to older Bordeaux dating back to the 1800s. Shipping fee for one case is a reasonable $9.50.

Don't waste your time if
You really dislike slow-loading pages -- which one panelist complained about -- and don't want to pay the same $9.50 shipping fee for just one bottle.

What our CEOs had to say
"Offers by far the widest range of product of the group," said one judge. But another criticized: "Searching by 'flavor' is good [only] for novices."

What you should know
Virtual retailer owned by Geerlings & Wade Inc., a direct marketer and Internet retailer of wines. Offers 1,000 wines. Serves 29 states.

Winetasting.com
What it's good for
California wines, especially hard-to-find product such as bottles available only from the wineries themselves. Examples: Cabernets from the 1980s or Merryvale's highly rated 1997 Profile, a red blend.

Don't waste your time if
You don't want California wines.

What our CEOs had to say
"Requires some effort to search. Limited selection. But very high quality. Kind of like shopping at a boutique instead of a wine emporium."

What you should know
Virtual cooperative made up of some 50 California wineries. Site is a hub from which you're transported to a winegrower's own site. Serves 20 states.

Our panelists
Chris Dominguez is president and cofounder of Stockpoint Inc., a San Francisco-based provider of online and wireless investment-analysis tools and financial information. A resident of northern California for the past dozen years, he regularly visits Napa Valley. Shawn Kravetz is president of Esplanade Capital LLC, a hedge-fund-management company in Boston. A wine enthusiast for more than a decade, he especially enjoys red Bordeaux. Jim Roop is president of the James J. Roop Co., a corporate-communications consulting firm in Cleveland. Roop is past chairman of the Cleveland Wine Auction, a benefit event, and a member of Commanderie de Bordeaux, an international society of Bordeaux lovers.

Please e-mail your comments to editors@inc.com.

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